Romania
republicIndependence 1881 (from Turkey
Romania as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between | Bulgaria and Ukraine
18 fieldsLand useshare of 237,500 sq km
Climate
- temperate;
- cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;
- sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Terrain
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Natural hazards
earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
Environment--current issues
- soil erosion and degradation;
- water pollution;
- air pollution in south from industrial effluents;
- contamination of Danube delta wetlands
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note
controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 19% (male 2,117,289; female 2,027,940)
- 15-64 years:
- 68% (male 7,563,695; female 7,663,491)
- 65 years and over:
- 13% (male 1,234,760; female 1,727,137) (1999 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Romanian 89.1%, Hungarian 8.9%, German 0.4%, Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%
Government
Republic; President Emil CONSTANTINESCU (since 29 November 1996); Prime Minister Radu VASILE (since 17 April 1998)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 343 seatsseats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Romania
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Romania
Administrative divisions
- 40 counties (judete, singular--judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu);
- Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Legal system
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Emil CONSTANTINESCU (since 29 November 1996)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Radu VASILE (since 17 April 1998)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
- election last held 3 November 1996, with runoff between the top two candidates held 17 November 1996 (next to be held NA November/December 2000);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- percent of vote--Emil CONSTANTINESCU 54.4%, Ion ILIESCU 45.6%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (143 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (343 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate--last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); Chamber of Deputies--last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
- election results:
- Senate--percent of vote by party--CDR 30.7%, PDSR 23.1%, USD 13.2%, UDMR 6.8%, PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.2%, others 17.5%;
- seats by party--CDR 53, PDSR 41, USD 23, UDMR 11, PRM 8, PUNR 7;
- Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by party--CDR 30.2%, PDSR 21.5%, USD 12.9%, UDMR 6.6% PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.4%, others 19.9%;
- seats by party--CDR 122, PDSR 91, USD 53, UDMR 25, PRM 19, PUNR 18, ethnic minorities 15
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice, judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party or PD [Petre DIACONESCU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM
note: to increase their voting strength several of the above-mentioned parties united under umbrella organizations: PNTCD, PNL, and PNL-CD form the bulk of the Democratic Convention or CDR other small parties failed to gain representation in the most recent election
International organization participation
ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUA, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mircea Dan GEOANA
- chancery:
- 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador James C. ROSAPEPE
- embassy:
- Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
- branch office:
- Cluj-Napoca
Flag description
- three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
- the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed;
- now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad
Economy
After the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in | 1989-91, Romania was left with an obsolete industrial base and a | pattern of industrial capacity wholly unsuited to its needs.
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1997)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy--overview
After the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989-91, Romania was left with an obsolete industrial base and a pattern of industrial capacity wholly unsuited to its needs. In February 1997, Romania embarked on a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform program, but reform subsequently has been a stop-and-go process.
Restructuring programs include liquidating large energy-intensive industries and major agricultural and financial sector reforms. Today, Romania is continuing its difficult transition to a market-based economy. GDP contracted by an estimated 7.3% in 1998 after a 6.6% decline in 1997.
Tight monetary policy and slower exchange rate depreciation earlier in 1998 helped lower inflation to an estimated 41% from 152% in 1997. The large current account deficit and concerns about meeting debt payments in 1999 contributed to increased pressure on the exchange rate towards the end of 1998.
Replacing the IMF standby agreement (suspended because of lack of progress on structural reforms), servicing large debt payments, and bringing the budget under control are key priorities for 1999.
Industries
mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining
Exports--commodities
textiles and footwear 23%, metals and metal products 18%, machinery and equipment 9%, chemicals 7% (1997)
Imports--commodities
machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 19%, chemicals 8%, foodstuffs (1997)
Exchange rates
lei (L) per US$1--11,353.6 (January 1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997), 3,084.2 (1996), 2,033.3 (1995), 1,655.1 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- poor service;
- 89% of telephone network is automatic;
- trunk network is microwave radio relay;
- roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990 est.)
- international:
- satellite earth station--1 Intelsat; new digital international direct-dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993 est.)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0 note: in 1995, 135 local radio stations were registered
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 199 ships by type(1998 est.)
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 11,376 km
- broad gauge:
- 60 km 1.524-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 10,889 km 1.435-m gauge (3,723 km electrified; 3,060 km double track)
- narrow gauge:
- 427 km 0.760-m gauge (1994)
Highways
- total:
- 153,358 km
- paved:
- 78,213 km (including 113 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 75,145 km (1996 est.)
Airports--with paved runways
- total:
- 21
- over 3,047 m:
- 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 (1998 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, | Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--international
- dispute with Ukraine over continental shelf of the Black Sea under which significant gas and oil deposits may exist;
- agreed in 1997 to two-year negotiating period, after which either party can refer dispute to the International Court of Justice
Illicit drugs
important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Romania.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/romania/1999.